Tip of the Day / Year!!

I found this goose at a thrift store yesterday. I thought it was cute. But that's the problem, it's "cute". But I bought it anyways. For $3.50, I could afford to ruin it, or use it as a pattern to make something similar ~ but NOT cute.

First, I removed the green bow (green isn't my color). I also removed the green ivy that was stapled with the grapevine.


Then the problem of removing the heart. Yes, it was "cute" in 1985, but not now. I googled how to remove glue from wood, and found my tip of the day. I could make this the tip of the year, as I can now use it on more items!! To remove wood that's glued together, use vinegar. Just plain old vinegar. I poured on several tablespoons onto the heart area (the goose was over the kitchen sink) and left it for a couple hours. After 2+ hours, I took a scrapper, and carefully pried the heart off the goose ~ and it worked!!!! Just one small dot of paint came off, most likely where I tried to pry it off without waiting the couple hours. I'm waiting for the wood to dry before I continue. (The wood was soft from being soaked with vinegar.) I'm hoping a quick sanding will remove all traces of the glue. Now to decide on what to do with the grapevine.....

So, if you find any thrift store items and want to update them by removing hearts, give this a try. I can't guarantee that it won't ruin the finish of paint or stain, but you can always re-paint and stain the item. Happy thrift store hunting!